Power management and distributed audio processing techniques for playback devices

Abstract

Aspects of the present disclosure relate to power management techniques for reducing the power consumption of playback devices. Additionally, aspects of the present disclosure related to distributed processing techniques for processing audio across two or more processors.

1 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A media playback system comprising:
 a playback device comprising
 a first network interface configured to communicate data over at least one network, 
 one or more first processors, and 
 at least one first non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising first program instructions that are executable by the one or more first processors such that the playback device is configured to
 receive, using the first network interface, audio information comprising audio content; 
 generate, using the one or more first processors, metadata associated with the audio content, and 
 communicate, using the one or more first processors, the audio content and the metadata to a wearable device; and 
 
 the wearable device, wherein the wearable device comprises 
 one or more amplifiers configured to drive one or more speakers, 
 a second network interface configured to communicate data over the at least one network, 
 one or more second processors having a different construction than the one or more first processors, 
 at least one second non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising second program instructions that are executable by the one or more second processors such that the wearable device is configured to
 receive, using the second network interface, the audio content and the metadata, and 
 play back, using the one or more second processors and the one or more amplifiers, the audio content based on the metadata. 
 
   
     
     
         24 . The media playback system of  claim 23 , wherein the metadata comprises one or more of normalization information or a codec associated with the audio content. 
     
     
         25 . The media playback system of  claim 24 , wherein:
 the metadata comprises the codec; and   the second program instructions are executable by the one or more second processors such that the wearable device is configured to decode the audio content using the codec.   
     
     
         26 . The media playback system of  claim 23 , wherein the metadata comprises an indication of a presentation time at which the audio content is to be played back by the wearable device. 
     
     
         27 . The media playback system of  claim 23 , further comprising data storage, wherein:
 the first program instructions are executable by the one or more first processors such that the playback device is configured to store, using the one or more first processors, portions of the audio content and the metadata to the data storage; and   the second program instructions are executable by the one or more second processors such that the wearable device is configured to read, using the one or more second processors, the portions of the audio content and the metadata from the data storage for playback via the one or more amplifiers.   
     
     
         28 . The media playback system of  claim 23 , further comprising data storage, wherein:
 the first program instructions are executable by the one or more first processors such that the playback device is configured to
 store, using the one or more first processors, an entire length of audio content associated with the audio content and the metadata to the data storage, and 
 transition the one or more first processors to a low power state; and 
   the second program instructions are executable by the one or more second processors such that the wearable device is configured to read, using the one or more first processors, the entire length of the audio content and the metadata from the data storage for playback via the one or more amplifiers.   
     
     
         29 . The media playback system of  claim 28 , wherein to read comprises to read at least part of the entire length of the audio content and the metadata while the one or more second processors are in the low power state. 
     
     
         30 . The media playback system of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the metadata is first metadata;   the audio content comprises first audio content;   the audio information further comprises second audio content; and   the first program instructions are executable by the one or more first processors such that the playback device is configured to
 generate, by the one or more first processors, second metadata associated with the second audio content, 
 combine the first audio content, the first metadata, the second audio content, and the second metadata into a data stream, and 
 communicate, using the one or more first processors, the data stream to the one or more second processors. 
   
     
     
         31 . The media playback system of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the data stream comprises a plurality of packets of information, each packet of the plurality of packets comprising header data and payload data;   the header data for each packet comprises one of the first metadata or the second metadata; and   the payload data of each packet comprises one of a portion of the first audio content that corresponds to the first metadata or a portion of the second audio content that corresponds to the second metadata.   
     
     
         32 . The media playback system of  claim 31 , wherein the second program instructions are executable by the one or more second processors such that the wearable device is configured to process, by the one or more second processors, audio content comprised within the payload data of each packet according to metadata comprised within the header of the packet. 
     
     
         33 . The media playback system of  claim 30 , wherein:
 the second audio content comprises a response to a voice command, and   the second program instructions are executable by the one or more second processors such that the wearable device is configured to
 receive, by the one or more second processors and via a microphone associated with the wearable device, third audio content associated with the voice command, 
 communicate, by the one or more second processors, the third audio content to the one or more first processors, and 
 communicate, by the one or more first processors, the third audio content to a server for processing a command associated with the third audio content. 
   
     
     
         34 . The media playback system of  claim 23 , wherein the second program instructions are executable by the one or more second processors such that the wearable device is configured to adjust, by the one or more second processors, a playback rate associated with playback of the audio content based on a rate at which the audio content is communicated to the one or more second processors by the one or more first processors. 
     
     
         35 . The media playback system of  claim 23 , wherein the wearable device is a headphone device and further comprises at least one earpiece. 
     
     
         36 . The media playback system of  claim 35 , wherein:
 the headphone device comprises at least one microphone; and   the headphone device is a hearable device configured to play back an amplified version of at least some sound detected using the at least one microphone.   
     
     
         37 . The media playback system of  claim 23 , wherein the playback device is a screenless playback device that does not comprise a display screen. 
     
     
         38 . The media playback system of  claim 23 , further comprising an application processor disposed within the one or more first processors. 
     
     
         39 . The media playback system of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more second processors comprise processors other than an application processor. 
     
     
         40 . A method of playing back audio using a media playback system comprising a playback device and a wearable device distinct from the playback device, the method comprising:
 receiving, using a network interface of the playback device, audio information comprising audio content;   generating, using one or more first processors of the playback device, metadata associated with the audio content;   communicating, using the one or more first processors, the audio content and the metadata to the wearable device; and   playing back, using one or more second processors of the wearable device and one or more amplifiers of the wearable device, the audio content based on the metadata.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein:
 generating the metadata comprises generating metadata comprising a codec associated with the audio content; and   playing back the audio content comprises decoding the audio content using the codec.   
     
     
         42 . One or more non-transitory computer readable media storing instructions executable by one or more processors to cause a media playback system comprising a playback device and a wearable device distinct from the playback device to play back audio, the instructions comprising instructions to:
 receive, using a network interface of the playback device, audio information comprising audio content;   generate, using one or more first processors of the playback device, metadata associated with the audio content;   communicate, using the one or more first processors, the audio content and the metadata to the wearable device; and   play back, using one or more second processors of the wearable device and one or more amplifiers of the wearable device, the audio content based on the metadata.